Bets off: A federal judge on Thursday upheld a 21-year-old law prohibiting sports betting in 46 of 50 states, dealing a setback to New Jersey’s attempts to revive its struggling casino industry. AP

Same-sex stance: The Obama administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage, it fell short of declaring its support for a constitutional right to gay marriage that would immediately apply in all 50 states, as some advocates had urged it to do. WSJ

Countered: A proposed South Carolina law would make you get a prescription to buy some common cold medicines. The Herald

Buried: An Oregon measure that would have made it easier for loved ones to access the “digital assets” of the deceased was stripped of language covering social media accounts. . . . . . . Read More »

About Law Blog

The Law Blog covers the legal arena’s hot cases, emerging trends and big personalities. It’s brought to you by lead writer Jacob Gershman with contributions from across The Wall Street Journal’s staff. Jacob comes here after more than half a decade covering the bare-knuckle politics of New York State. His inside-the-room reporting left him steeped in legal and regulatory issues that continue to grab headlines.

Must Reads

Plaintiffs' lawyers dodged a bullet last year when the U.S. Supreme Court spared a quarter-century-old precedent that had served as the legal linchpin of the modern investor class-action case. Despite that win, a new report suggests that securities class actions have lost some of their firepower.

In a week in which images of Prophet Muhammad were connected to acts of terror and defiant expressions of freedom, a sculpture of the prophet of Islam inside the U.S. Supreme Court has drawn little notice.

The salacious allegations against Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz that surfaced in a federal lawsuit involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have generated international attention. Drawing less coverage is the lawsuit itself -- a case with the potential to expand the rights of crime victims during federal investigations.